< Mathayo 3 >
1 Matukũ-inĩ macio Johana ũrĩa Mũbatithania nĩokire, akĩhunjagia kũu Werũ-inĩ wa Judea,
About that time John the Baptist first appeared, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea:
2 akiugaga atĩrĩ, “Mwĩrirei, nĩgũkorwo ũthamaki wa igũrũ nĩũkuhĩrĩirie.”
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
3 Ũyũ nĩwe ũrĩa ũhoro wake waarĩtio nĩ mũnabii Isaia rĩrĩa oigire atĩrĩ: “Kũrĩ na mũgambo wa mũndũ ũkwanĩrĩra werũ-inĩ, akoiga atĩrĩ: ‘Haarĩriai njĩra ya Mwathani, rũngariai njĩra ciake.’”
John was the one who was spoken of in the prophet Isaiah, where he says – ‘The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness: “Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”’
4 Johana eekagĩra Nguo ya guoya wa ngamĩĩra, na nĩeyohaga mũcibi wa rũũa njohero. Irio ciake ciarĩ ngigĩ na ũũkĩ wa gĩthaka.
John’s clothes were made of camels’ hair, with a leather strap around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5 Nao andũ nĩmathiiaga kũrĩ we moimĩte Jerusalemu, na mĩena yothe ya Judea, na bũrũri wothe ũrĩa wariganĩtie na Jorodani.
At that time Jerusalem, and all Judea, as well as the whole district of the Jordan, went out to him
6 Moimbũraga mehia mao, nake akamabatithĩria Rũũĩ-inĩ rwa Jorodani.
and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
7 Na rĩrĩa oonire Afarisai na Asadukai aingĩ magĩũka hau nĩgeetha amabatithie, akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Inyuĩ rũciaro rũrũ rwa nduĩra! Nũũ ũmũheete ũhoro atĩ mũũrĩre marakara marĩa makiriĩ gũũka?
But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to receive his baptism, he said to them, “You children of snakes! Who has prompted you to seek refuge from the coming judgment?
8 Ciarai maciaro maringaine na kwĩrira.
Let your life, then, prove your repentance;
9 Na mũtikeĩĩre na ngoro cianyu atĩrĩ, ‘Ithe witũ nĩ Iburahĩmu.’ Ngũmwĩra atĩrĩ, Ngai no atũme mahiga maya matuĩke ciana cia Iburahĩmu.
and do not think that you can say among yourselves ‘Abraham is our ancestor,’ for I tell you that out of these stones God is able to raise descendants for Abraham!
10 Ithanwa nĩrĩige itina-inĩ cia mĩtĩ, na mũtĩ o wothe ũtaciaraga maciaro mega nĩũgatemwo, ũikio mwaki-inĩ.
Already the axe is lying at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that fails to bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “Niĩ ndĩmũbatithagia na maaĩ mwerira. No thuutha wakwa nĩgũgũũka mũndũ ũngĩ ũrĩ na hinya kũrĩ niĩ, na ndiagĩrĩire o na kũmũkuuĩra iraatũ ciake. We akaamũbatithagia na Roho Mũtheru na mwaki.
I, indeed, baptize you with water to teach repentance; but he who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not fit even to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12 Gĩtarũrũ gĩake akĩnyiitĩte na guoko, na nĩagatheria kĩhuhĩro gĩake, na acookanĩrĩrie ngano yake ikũmbĩ, acooke acine mahuti na mwaki ũtangĩhoreka.”
His winnowing-fan is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, and store his grain in the barn, but the chaff he will burn with a fire that cannot be put out.”
13 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Jesũ akiuma Galili agĩthiĩ Rũũĩ-inĩ rwa Jorodani akabatithio nĩ Johana.
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him.
14 Nowe Johana akĩgeria kũmũgiria, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Niĩ njagĩrĩirwo nĩkũbatithio nĩwe, nawe wagĩũka kũrĩ niĩ atĩa?”
But John tried to prevent him. “I need to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why have you come to me?”
15 Nake Jesũ akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Reke gũtuĩke ũguo rĩu; tondũ nĩtwagĩrĩirwo twĩke ũndũ ũyũ nĩguo tũhingie maũndũ mothe ma ũthingu.” Hĩndĩ ĩyo Johana agĩĩtĩkĩra.
“This is the way it should be for now,” Jesus answered, “because we should do everything that God requires.” So John agreed.
16 Jesũ aarĩkia kũbatithio o ũguo-rĩ, akiumĩra maaĩ-inĩ. Kahinda o kau igũrũ rĩkĩhingũka, nake akĩona Roho wa Ngai agĩikũrũka ta ndutura, akĩũmba igũrũ rĩake.
After the baptism of Jesus, and just as he came up from the water, the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on him,
17 Naguo mũgambo ũkiuma igũrũ, ũkiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũyũ nĩwe Mũrũ wakwa, ũrĩa nyendete; na nĩngenaga mũno nĩ we.”
and from the heavens there came a voice which said, “This is my dearly loved son, who brings me great joy.”